The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Special Victims Bureau is investigating claims that several soccer players were sodomized with a javelin by older players as part of a hazing ritual. One of the incidents is believed to have occurred in the spring. Hazing of some form may have been going on for a few years, authorities said.

Four La Puente High soccer players were cited last week and released to the custody of their parents, authorities said. No charges have been filed.

At the school Monday, event organizer and 2002 alumnus Donald Alvarado, 28, spoke to the crowd.

Bullying and hazing occur everywhere from elementary schools to the work place, and it can have "devastating" effects, Alvarado said.

"If we can get that awareness out there to these kids that bullying, hazing and all this is wrong, I'm pretty sure we could save at least one more life," Alvarado said.

Alvarado credited the alleged victims for having the courage to speak up about what happened to them. He said other students who might be having problems - not necessarily related to hazing - will find support if they reach out.

"We're here to show that you're not alone," Alvarado said. "As you can see, we do come out in numbers to support a fellow Warrior."

Theresa Padro, 50, of La Puente was among those who attended the rally. Padro, who graduated from La Puente High in 1980, said three generations of her family have attended the school. Her grandparents were students there, as were her two daughters.

The school is a centerpiece of a tight-knit community, Padro said.

"We just wanted to come out and show our support for our little Warriors, to let them know that they're not alone, that once a Warrior always a Warrior," Padro said, referring to the school's mascot.

Padro urged the alleged victims to not let the hazing define who they are.

"It was not your fault," Padro said. "You didn't do anything to cause this, you didn't make this happen; something bad happened to you."

Hacienda La Puente Unified Superintendent Barbara Nakaoaka watched the rally from a short distance away. She said she knows many of the parents who attended the rally.

"I value their input," Nakaoaka said. "They were very supportive of the school."